Fried Chicken for the Cure?

In the latest incarnation of pink ribbon promotions, the prominent breast cancer advocacy group Susan G. Komen for the Cure has teamed up with KFC in a national "Buckets for the Cure" campaign which will run until May 23.

But while the endeavor guarantees to bring big money to the cause, this unlikely partnership is rustling more than a few feathers in the breast cancer community -- eating fatty foods, argue some detractors, increases the risk of breast cancer.

For each pink bucket of chicken purchased, KFC will donate 50 cents to Komen with the ultimate goal of $8 million -- which would be the single largest donation ever received by the organization.

The campaign has already raised $2 million in its first week alone.

While corporate partnerships like the "pink bucket" provide essential non-profit funding for breast cancer advocacy, Komen's current campaign raises the question among some critics: is pink promotion being taken too far?

Eat a Breast to Save a Breast

As the world's largest breast cancer organization, Komen provides the largest source of nonprofit funds to breast cancer research and advocacy and has affiliates throughout the country.

"Pinking" fried chicken is only one of Susan G. Komen for the Cure's nearly 240 corporate partnerships, says Andrea Rader, director of marketing and communications at the organization.

KFC has over 5,000 restaurants nationwide, 900 of which are in communities that Komen currently has no presence or outreach in, so when the fast food chain expressed interest in a partnership, Komen took it as an "opportunity to connect and educate," Rader says.

"Mother's day is typically KFC's biggest sales day, so the idea was that this would be a good window for this promotion," Rader says. "We find that when people see these kinds of promotions, they act on it, whether by going to the website, talking to a neighbor or a doctor, and that's critical to us -- that awareness."

Why KFC Can Help Cancer

But is all attention necessarily good attention?

"People are just furious about this," Brenner says. "On Twitter, on Facebook, in emails Breast Cancer Action is receiving, people are saying they've lost their faith in Komen. It's been a respectable advocacy group, but many are questioning this move."

According to medical experts, there is an established connection between eating fatty, high caloric food and the risk for breast cancer.

"The number one most important guideline for cancer prevention is to maintain a healthy weight," says Cheryl Rock, who researches the connection between diet and breast cancer at University of California, San Diego.

Because of this link, Brenner says Komen's campaign may "undercut the cause."

"Post menopausal weight gain increases risk for breast cancer, Komen has this on their website, they know this, and yet they're tied to a company that's feeding the obesity habit in this country," Brenner says.